The Bridge of Sighs is not included in the visit to the New Prisons Palace. It belongs to the municipal museum circuit, while this building is privately owned.
The New Prisons Palace is owned by the Circolo Artistico di Venezia, a cultural institution founded in the early 19th century to promote the arts. The association acquired the building between 1919 and 1920, becoming its official owner by royal decree.
Despite the change in ownership, the prison continued to be used for detention until at least 1910. For nearly four centuries, the building retained its original function.
The Bridge of Sighs remains central to the history of this complex. Through this enclosed passage, suspended over the water, prisoners were led from the Doge’s Palace to their cells, marking the transition from judgment to imprisonment.
